Out of the three steps we discussed to break the tendency of procrastination, the toughest and most important one is to break the PAW belief, i.e., performance = ability = self-worth.
The PAW belief runs deep in the unconscious mind especially as most people grow with it since childhood: from schools rewarding the top scorers with prizes and teachers’ favors, to parents comparing their performance with other children, reasons can be many.
As you read this, you may feel that by knowing this fact you have broken the belief, but the job is far from done. Breaking this life-long belief can easily take years to overcome. Since it acts in the unconscious mind, the deception will take over without you even realizing it. And that is why we want you to initiate this commitment consciously.
We give you two visualizations that can help in overcoming procrastination. As you practice them more, it will get easier. For now, just take 2-3 minutes to visualize them once, so that they are loaded you’re your brain:
The Fuel of Gratitude: Take a minute or two to think about all the times where your worth did not depend on your performance: simple moments just being with the family, or a trip with friends. Be thankful for being alive and having the opportunity to do the big task that scares you right now. Embrace the task that you’re afraid of and respond with all you’ve got!
Meditation on Temptation: Whenever you feel the urge to do some menial tasks to procrastinate on your main task, slow down and take a deep breath. Meditate on the storm of temptations that is trying to move you away from the essential. Can it not wait? Let it settle down as you sit in the eye of the storm. Once done, move on to do the essential task.
Next time, whenever you must start an essential task or find yourself already procrastinating, just run these visualizations. Clarity will rise itself.
Rise & Shine! 😊